English · Première, Terminale (B1 to C2), Bac pro

Session 5: The press as counterpoint: viral post versus newspaper article

Read one step, do it, then move on.
Step 1

Recap check

Recap check
  1. Name three of AFP's checking steps.
  2. What is a reliable source?
  3. What does out of context mean?
Answer key
  1. Reverse search, original upload, live feed, comparison with media.
  2. An identified, competent source that shows its evidence and corrects its mistakes.
  3. A real picture shown with a false date or place.
Step 2

Objectives

Step 3
Today's language goal

To compare a viral post and a press article on the same story, we need the parts of an article (headline, standfirst, byline, correction) and comparatives (more reliable than, less transparent than, as fast as).

Documents

The viral post

The post: the AI picture of Katy Perry at the 2024 Met Gala, shared on X with a caption praising the gown, over 300,000 likes.

Fact-checks : PolitiFact

"Contrary to the images circulating on social media, Katy Perry was not one of them."
NPR, 7 May 2024
The press as counterpoint

The article: NPR, 7 May 2024, by a named journalist. It states the facts, quotes the singer and an expert, and gives readers verification advice. Read NPR · Watch BBC Verify

Step 4

Grammar lesson: comparatives and superlatives

To compare a viral post and a press article on the same story, we need comparatives and superlatives
On the board, to copy

Rule

short: faster than. long: more reliable than. equal: as fast as.

Form

  • short adjectives: + -er than: faster, cheaper; the + -est: the fastest.
  • long adjectives: more / less + adjective + than: more reliable than; the most reliable.
  • equality: (not) as + adjective + as: A post is not as reliable as an article.
  • irregular: good → better → the best; bad → worse → the worst; far → further.

Examples from the lesson

  • A viral post spreads faster than a press article.
  • A press article is more reliable than an anonymous post.
  • A post is less transparent about its sources.

Common mistakes

  • Not more fast than, but faster than
  • Not more reliable that, but more reliable than

Quick check (2 minutes, hands up or mini whiteboards)Complete with the comparative.

  1. A post is (fast) ______ an article.
  2. An article is (reliable) ______ a post.
  3. A correction is (good) ______ silence.
  4. Anonymous posts are (transparent) ______ named articles. (less)
Show the answers

1. faster than. 2. more reliable than. 3. better than. 4. less transparent than.

Exercises

EntryRecognition. Underline the comparatives and superlatives and say: superiority (+), inferiority (−), equality (=), superlative (S).

  1. A post spreads faster than an article.
  2. The article is more detailed.
  3. An anonymous post is less reliable than a named journalist.
  4. A correction is not as visible as the mistake.
  5. The fastest posts are often the least checked.
  6. NPR's article was better sourced than the post.
Show the answers

1. faster than, +. 2. more detailed, +. 3. less reliable than, −. 4. not as visible as, = (negative). 5. the fastest, the least checked, S. 6. better sourced than, +.

CoreGap-fill. Use the word in brackets in the comparative or superlative form.

  1. A press article is (reliable) than a viral post.
  2. The post had (many) likes than the article had readers.
  3. The byline makes the article (transparent).
  4. This was (bad) mistake of the year.
  5. Fact-checks are (slow) than rumours.
  6. A named journalist is (accountable) than an anonymous account.
  7. The Pope picture was one of (viral) images of 2023.
  8. The correction was (short) than the article.
Show the answers

1. more reliable. 2. more. 3. more transparent. 4. the worst. 5. slower. 6. more accountable. 7. the most viral. 8. shorter.

StretchProduction. Compare the Pope post and the Full Fact article in six sentences: author, date, sources, aim, mistakes, speed.

Show the answers

For example: The Pope post was published by an unknown account, whereas the Full Fact article comes from a known fact-checking organisation. The article is more precise about the date. It is far more transparent about its sources. The post's aim was to get reactions; the article's aim is to inform. The article is more accountable, since mistakes are corrected. But the post spread much faster than the article.

Words in action

To say it precisely, we need the right words

EntryMatch: headline, standfirst, byline, correction.

  1. the name of the journalist
  2. the title of the article
  3. a public note that fixes a mistake
  4. the short text under the title that sums up the article
Show the answers

1. byline. 2. headline. 3. correction. 4. standfirst.

Task 1

Fill in the comparison grid with a second pair: the Pope picture and the Full Fact article.
Step 5

Task 2

Find in the NPR article the headline, the byline, the date and the quotes.
Step 6

Task 3

Nuance: the press makes mistakes too; it stands out because it corrects them publicly.
Step 7

Figures of speech in the documents

Metaphor: the press as counterpoint

Session title: “The press as counterpoint”

counterpoint: a second melody that answers the first. The press answers the post.

EntryFrom which art does the word counterpoint come?

Show the answers

Music.

Gap-fill worksheet

Word bank : byline standfirst corrects sources date
  1. The journalist's name is the .
  2. The short text under the headline is the .
  3. A serious newspaper its mistakes.
  4. An article quotes its .
  5. An article always shows its .
Answer key
  1. byline
  2. standfirst
  3. corrects
  4. sources
  5. date
Step 8

Expression task

Now say it

Writing: in ten lines, explain what a newspaper adds that a post does not.

EntryFour sentences, each with one comparative.

Tools to use:

  • headline, standfirst, byline, correction
  • more ... than, less ... than, as ... as, the most
  • whereas, but

Sentence starters:

  • A newspaper is more ... than ...
  • Unlike a post, an article ...
  • However, ...
Show a model answer

A newspaper adds what a viral post rarely gives: a name, a date and sources. NPR's article was signed by a named journalist, whereas the Katy Perry post came from an account that cared only about likes. The article is more reliable because it quotes the singer and an expert. It is also more transparent: readers can check the links. Of course, the press is not as fast as social media, and it makes mistakes too. However, it is the most accountable source, because it publishes corrections.

Homework

Find a press article and a post on the same neutral topic (weather, sport, culture). Complete the comparison grid on the gap-fill worksheet.
Answer keyModel answer: all five criteria are filled in for both documents, with at least one exact quote from the article and its date.